Kendrick Lamar is famously social media averse, but every so often, he does pop up on the apps when he feels something is important enough to speak on. Apparently, Doechii’s debut mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, is one of those things. The Compton rapper reposted Doechii’s mixtape cover from her post on his Instagram Story, giving his assessment in a simple, three-word caption: “The hardest out.” Kendrick Lamar and Doechii were briefly labelmates on Top Dawg Entertainment.
Kendrick isn’t the only one showing appreciation for Doechii’s multifaceted rap skills. Pop star Katy Perry tapped the Florida rapper for a single from her new album, 143, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” debuting the song during her performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs as she was honored with a Video Vanguard Award. Meanwhile, Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal Tour has been receiving rave reviews on social media for its elaborate staging and polished performance, which she had plenty of opportunity to practice when she opened for Doja Cat’s Scarlet Tour last year.
In addition to giving editorial praise to Doechii on Instagram, Kendrick Lamar also gave her more exposure via his PgLang agency, which cast her in its latest short film for Cash App’s “This Is Money” campaign. In “The Barbershop,” Doechii explains how to make use of interest to ensure that her money is working for her.
You can listen to Alligator Bites Never Healhere, courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment.
Mamoudou Athie doesn’t mind taking risks. In fact, he’s rarely tempted to say “yes” to something that’s a sure thing.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t landed everything from streaming indies and Emmy nominations to franchise features and animated Oscar winners. He stays booked in hip-hop musicals like Netflix’s The Get Down, psychological horrors like Archive 81, and prestige mini-series like FXX’s Oh Jerome, No. Most recently, he landed a new gig opposite Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in an A24 romance that will likely break the internet thanks to its star power.
But the success Athie’s seen in his career isn’t strategic. It’s just the byproduct of his very simple philosophy of what acting should be: fun.
“There’s 1,001 different reasons to do a movie,” he tells Uproxx. “It’s not just about, ‘How does this get me to the next lily pad?’ Look, that’s a way to do it, and some people do that successfully, but it’s just not as fun. And if I’m going to be an actor, I better be having fun.”
Of course, Athie’s idea of fun might be slightly different from others.
We’re talking about his work in the latest entry in the Yorgos Lanthimos’ Weird Cinematic Universe, Kinds of Kindness, which you can stream on Hulu. The baffling, darkly comedic trio of fables sees Athie playing a variety of roles – a swim instructor, a coroner, a cop – while navigating everything from cults and cannibalism to, what might be, one of the year’s most uncomfortable sex scenes.
With Kinds of Kindness, a film so rooted in grotesque absurdism you’re psychologically clawing your way to its hours-long finish line, Athie’s a steadying presence, someone relatable and empathetic in the modern mythic trilogy of monsters and the men who become them. It’s unlike anything he’s done before, a project that practically terrified him at times. That’s exactly why he was so quick to dive in.
“There’s a kind of dignity and self-respect that you have to have as a human being and a particular kind of shamelessness as an actor to be able to do what’s required of some characters,” he explains, noting that a Yorgos film requires plenty of the latter. “If I want to be my fullest self as an actor, then I can’t hold myself back by commenting on something that’s scary to me or undesirable or even disgusting.”
Athie says he felt “tremendously self-conscious” filming some of the more graphic, outlandish scenes. He credits Yorgos’ approach to rehearsals, something the director is famous for holding weeks ahead of filming, for helping to strip him of any ego that might’ve made all the group sex and wound-licking and limb cutting less impactful.
“It was very reminiscent to me of clown class,” he says. “That was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received as an actor, getting to go to Chris Bay’s clown class while I was at school because it just frees you from your ego. It’s now ‘How good can I get it?’ or ‘How interesting am I?’ It’s like, ‘Where’s the fun? Where’s the need of this character, and how do I fully express that?’
“It’s very silly,” he’s quick to assure me. “We’re all grownups doing the most ridiculous things. I enjoy and really do respect my job, but I do understand that there’s a level of ridiculousness involved in it, and you have to be okay with it, otherwise, it’s not going to work.”
Few actors Athie’s age seem to love their craft in the same way. When rattling off influences, the names the Yale drama school grad tosses out are older, more established, often viewed as character focused. They’re the Sally Hawkins, the Vincent Cassels, the Sam Neills, the Courtney B. Vances of the world, plenty of whom he’s gotten the chance to study under in projects like Netflix’s Uncorked, the watery Kristen Stewart thriller, Underwater, and a Jurassic World sequel. Kinds of Kindness co-star Willem Dafoe makes that list too, someone Athie says is always game to “go there.”
“The reason he’s so interesting is because he’s not really trying to be interesting,” he says. “He just genuinely loves acting. No matter what he feels or looks like, he’s just going to do it because of the job.”
It’s here, as Athie starts to spout off words like “dramaturgical” and “facsimile” that he stops himself.
“I sound like such a fucking acting nerd,” he laughs. “I’m intolerable.”
Along with being charmingly self-deprecating, Athie’s also quick to deflect praise. When I bring up how Essence recently named him “Hollywood’s Next Leading Man,” he insists he’s flattered, then he lists out all of the things he finds more important about his job than fame, then he claims the fridge in his AirBnB is making an odd sound, then he changes the subject to talk about the importance of diverse storytelling and indie filmmaking.
“You need to make room, a lot of room, I would say the most room for original stories,” he says. “This is how you move the medium forward. If everything’s all about money, then you’re not going to have much left. There’s not going to be niche stories that, by the way, are the ones that connect with the widest audiences. But if you try to sanitize a script and make it just palatable to all 8 billion people on the planet, then you’re not going to have much.”
That brings us back to the idea of risk, the notion that nothing is a sure thing, especially in the moviemaking business, so why not create freely, push relentlessly, and invite fans to appreciate the end result instead of chasing algorithms and dollar signs.
“Independent filmmakers are some of the most driven people,” he explains. “To make a movie is insanely difficult. And to get a lot of people to agree to help you make that movie, it takes a lot of ambition and courage. So, they will find a way, but I’d like us, as a business holistically, to help. Let’s just make movies and accept that there’s inherent risk in making them.”
That train of thought jogs Athie’s memory just before we end the conversation.
“Oh, there’s somebody who just approached me about doing a movie. I owe him a call.”
Drake continues his redemption tour with another new feature verse, this time on Chino Pacas and Fuerza Regida‘s new single, “Modo Capone.” The title is Spanish for “Capone Mode” and, as he did with Bad Bunny on 2018’s “Mia,” Drake once again sings in Spanish here. Drake’s known for embracing regional and underground musical movements, so it was probably only a matter of time until he delved into música Mexicana. As it turns out, he fits into the style about as well as he does any other — it helps that his presence here is limited to a single verse, while 18-year-old Chino Pacas and Fuerza Regida’s Jesús Ortíz Paz handle most of the vocals until Drake returns for late-song tag.
Música Mexicana has been exploding in popularity in recent years with acts like Fuerza Regida, Peso Pluma, and Grupo Frontera bringing the regional sound to the world to an unexpectedly warm reception. Even established artists like former rapper and pop singer Becky G have embraced the sound, which is why it’s no surprise to see Drake dipping into it in his quest to regain his reputation after his musical altercation with Kendrick Lamar earlier this year.
You can listen to Chino Pacas’ “Modo Capone” with Drake and Fuerza Regida above.
Mk.gee’s plans for global dominance are going accordingly. The “Lonely Fight” musician’s North American tour wing wrapped up without incident. Now, Mk.gee is preparing to set UK and Europe ablaze starting on Halloween day.
Although Mk.gee’s album, Two Star & The Dream Police, was only released in February, he still has a few loosies to share with supporters. Today (October 18), Mk.gee dropped a new self-produced single, “Rockman.”
Mk.gee has certainly proved himself to be a rock star. But the track is a seemingly a tribute to another famed entity. The musically beloved Rockman amplifiers. Although the song’s lyrics don’t bother to mention the technology, as he sings, “Honey, just shut up and ride / Wherever you are / I want it on fire / Keep it up, you started a war / Oh, you can laugh it off / But you started a war.”
However, there is no denying that Mk.gee’s instrumental shredding checks off all the boxing for an electrifying tribute to the Rockman. If he’s done this within the confines of a studio, imagine what he does on stage. Listen to Mk.gee’s new single “Rockman” above and check out his remaining tour dates below.
Mk.gee’s 2024 World Tour Dates
UK & Europe
10/31 — London, UK @ Electric Brixton
11/02 — Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmarte
11/04 — Berlin, DE @ Betonhalle
11/05 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Australia
12/03 — Brisbane, QLD @ The Triffid
12/05 — Sydney, NSW @ Metro Theatre
12/07 — Melbourne, VIC @ Max Watts
Two Star & The Dream Police is out now via R&R Digital. Find more information here.
Have you ever wondered if the couples on kiss cam are pre-screened? It turns out they’re not! Or at least they weren’t at a recent Olivia Rodrigo concert.
The Guts World Tour is having a memorable time in Australia: first, Rodrigo fell through a stage. Then, on Thursday, she asked two of her fans to kiss for the cameras, not realizing that they’re related.
“You guys are so cute! I have a huge, fun favor to ask. Would you guys give us a kiss on the Guts cam?” she said at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. The pair immediately looked mortified, as the guy mouthed, “She’s my sister.” Olivia reacted in horror. “She’s your sister! Oh sh*t, never mind, scrap that! F*ck, wow, that hasn’t happened before,” the “Get Him Back!” singer said. “This is the first time! Wow. I feel really bad now. We are going to forget that ever happened!” Rodrigo even apologized on TikTok, writing, “I AM SO SORRY.” It’s like they say: love really is embarrassing.
Rodrigo made it nearly 100 concerts on the Guts tour without asking a brother and sister to smooch. Unfortunately for her, there’s still two more shows to go in 2024, followed by a handful of Lollapalooza and rescheduled dates in 2025.
The members of One Direction mean a lot to a lot of people, so the surprising death of Liam Payne this week has really resonated. Maggie Rogers is among Payne’s musical peers who have been impacted by the loss, and she decided to pay tribute by covering 1D’s “Night Changes” while performing at Boston’s TD Garden last night (October 17).
As Billboard notes, before the performance, Rogers told the audience, “This week, in particular, I’ve been thinking how precious life is and how quickly things can change.” After explaining how she learned of Payne’s death will preparing to have dinner with an old friend, she continued, “We’re just about the same age. Any time a public figure, especially a musical peer, slips off, it’s really present and I’ve been sending a bunch of love to my friends and my band the last couple days. […] I wanted to just honor anyone who has been touched by [One Direction’s] music or those songs.”
This comes after Payne’s former bandmates and other figures from the music world have shared tributes of their own. Halsey shared an emotional post on Tumblr, writing in part, “i loved one direction with an all-consuming force when i was younger. it hurts deeply to mourn someone you were a massive fan of as teenager, and became a peer of as an adult. […] as a parent, a fellow artist, and a fan, i simply cannot fathom this untimely loss. my heart goes out to his family, friends, and the fans.”
Things are about to get real on Cobra Kai after the sixth season began with relatively little battling, well, other than what poor Kenny and Tory had to experience. Both had very different reasons why they didn’t end up fighting for Miyagi-do at the global Sekai Taikai tournament, which began with a face-off at the end of Part 1, and Part 2 will see battles for worldwide karate dominance.
Sekai Taikai is a fictional competition and part of this heightened-reality universe, but an extra bit of fiction doesn’t make the soap-opera aspects of this show any less enjoyable for the target audience. Following the series finale, another The Karate Kid movie will surface, and Cobra Kai showrunners Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg have suggested that a Miyagi spin off is in the cards, but first, a necessary question exists.
When Will Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2 Premiere?
Following the season’s first five episodes that arrived on July 18, the second part (five more episodes) will debut on November 15.
Deadline recently reported this part’s new cast members, which include Lewis Tan (as Sensei Wolf), Patrick Luwis (as Axel Kovacevic), and Rayna Vallandingham (as Zara Malik). They join Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Jacob Bertrand, Mary Mouser, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Gianni DeCenzo, Dallas Dupree Young, Vanessa Rubio, Courtney Henggeler, and Peyton List to bring this series to a close.
The final five episodes, or Part 3, will add up to a supersized karate season as an undisclosed date in 2025. Send it to the internet.
“They was tryna stunt my growth, I was steady chasin’ my goals / N****, why you watchin’? I’m grown, n**** can’t take my throne / Goin’ through the motions, stay strong, he done been him all along / Look at all this money we done grown, lot of different places I done flown,” he raps.
This is just the sort of reassured Gunna fans want to hear especially with set to kick off his Wun Of Dem Nights Tour tomorrow in Washington, DC.
Listen to Gunna’s new single “Him All Along” above.
To celebrate Deep Thoughts‘ upcoming release, today (October 18), Lil Durk shared a new strikingly personal single, “Opportunist.”
On the DJ Bandz- and Magic-produced record, Durk addresses a supposed opportunist in his inner circle with the help of his late brother DThang. Within the record, Durk incorporates an audio file of DThang discussing his generosity and how others have attempted to exploit it.
“Check this out, I want everybody on this planet right here,” he said. “For real, for real, if you get somethin’ from me, if you get motherf*cker. Listen, I’ll send the guys money ’cause I want to. I motherf*ckin’ give the guys money ’cause I want to. So if you ask me to do somethin’ for you and I do it. Please don’t think it’s a finesse, don’t think you finessin’ DThang, please don’t.”
Later in the song, Durk briefly touched on his very public beefs that eventually took the life of longtime friend and fellow rapper King Von. “When they die, you try to claim ’em to get a name, that sh*t be hot / The last time this war was this big was B.I.G. and Pac / Flowin’ all these drugs through my system, I missed ’em / Postin’ all his lo’s on his finsta, I missed ’em / I don’t take back nothin’ when I say it, when I dissed him / Even though he dead, I read our thread ’cause I miss him,” he rapped.
Listen to “Opportunist” above.
Deep Thoughts is out 11/22 via Alamo. Find more information here.
Last month, Cardi B announced she had given birth to her third child. Aside from being a major moment in Cardi’s personal life, this also seemingly means that she’s ready to put her head down and finish her long-awaited second album.
During an X Spaces broadcast on October 16, Cardi said (as Billboard notes):
“I’m also in LA because I have to do something pertaining the album. I know you guys are gonna be like, ‘What the f*ck, b*tch?’ But it’s something that’s gonna be done really f*cking quick. It’s just gonna be a one-two. I did it when I was pregnant, and nothing came out how I wanted it to come out, so we gotta do it again.
It’s gonna be amazing and unique because everything I do, it gotta be amazing and unique. I’m sorry for the delay. It’s not gonna be a crazy delay. It’s gonna come out amazing. I’m gonna be out here for nine days.”
Later in the broadcast, she said, “Album is coming really, really soon, announcements is coming really really soon. Things are getting more done now! I’m not pregnant no more.”
While there hasn’t been an album since 2018’s Invasion Of Privacy, she has popped up with new songs here and there, like this year’s “On Dat Money” with Rob49.
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